Heavy snow storm in the United States, half a million people without electricity

Heavy snow storms hit the western states of California and Nevada. The powerful storm has shut down major highways, closed ski resorts and left hundreds of thousands of homes without power.

Currently, half a million people are without electricity service. British media BBC reported this information in a report on Sunday (March 3).

According to reports, the blizzard hit the mountainous Sierra Nevada region severely. Wind gusts were reported to reach 305 kilometers per hour (190 miles per hour) during the storm.

People have been warned of a “danger of high to extreme snow,” including the greater Lake Tahoe area. On the other hand, according to a power outage map, more than 33,000 people are without power in Nevada and about 24,000 people in California.

The storm closed a 75-mile (121 km) stretch of Interstate 80 on Saturday. The California Highway Patrol office in Truckee, near the Nevada state border, said on social media platform X, “Emergency crews are experiencing difficulty reaching motorists due to the blizzard.”

The hilly areas were the most affected by the storm.

A US National Weather Service meteorologist said Saturday that up to 3 meters (10 feet) of snow is expected at higher elevations, which could pose a “life-threatening concern” for people living near Lake Tahoe.